Head retainer for drums and the like



March 28, 1933. C H R 'L 1,903,010

HEAD RETAINER FOR DRUMS AND THE LIKE Original Filed May 13, 1931 INVEZN'TDR @ZZ W Y 'TTDRNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. ROLLASON, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO WHEELIN'G STEEL CORPORATION, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE mum RETAINER EOE DRUMS AND THE LIKE Application filed May 13, 1931. Serial No. 586,971. Renewed June 8,-1982.

This invention relates broadly to steel containers, and more specifically to a sealing ring for containers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical form of ring whereby the heads of sheet metal drums and like containers may be detachably secured in place.

A further object is to provide a head retaining and sealing ring which is readily applicable and removable by hand, or without the use of tools, which is in no wise in ured in effecting its removal, and which, consequently, may be replaced and re-used from time to time.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevatlon and partly in section, of a fragmentary portion of the head end of a sheet metal drum, illustrating my invention applied in seated retaining relation to the removable head;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ring, detached, showing the ring-spreading and clos ing device in open position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view-of the operating lever of said device;

Figure 4 is a similar view of the saddleplate portion of said device; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawing, 1 designates the body of a sheet metal container or drum of a common form, having a terminal head or roll 2 at its upper end; and 3 designates the body of a common form of removable cover or head having an outwardly curled rim 4 designed to seat upon said terminal roll 2, or upon an interposed compressible gasket 5, as shown in Fig. 1.

For detachably securing the head in the closely seated, sealed position indicated, a split ring 6 of substantially semi-circular form in cross section is disposed in embracing relation to said container roll 2 and said cover rim 4, said roll and said rim having the lower and upper edges, respectively, of said ring so engaged therewith that contracting force applied to the ring tends to draw said rim downwardly into gasket-compressing sealed relation to said container roll.

The meeting ends of said split rin 6 have mounted thereon the relatlvely s iftable members of a device whereby said ends may be drawn into closely meeting relation for contracting the ring into the head-securing position shown in Fig. 1, and also whereby said ends may be forced apart, or into separated relation, for expanding said ring to the extent that the latter may bodily be removed for freeing the head.

Said ring contracting and ex anding device comprises a body member of saddleplate form adapted, when said ring is contracted, to seat in overlying relation to the upper edge portions of the two meeting ends of the latter, straddling said edge portions at one side and an upper exposed portion of the head rim 4 at the other side, as shown in Fig. 5. Said saddle plate is pivotally mounted on one of said meeting ends of the ring, preferably having an integral lug or tail piece 8 extending rearwardly from the" rear end of the outer side thereof, and having pivotal connection through said tail-piece with the ring end at a point substantially midway between the opposite lateral edges thereof.

Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the other of the meetings ends of the split ring 6, as at 9, is an operating lever 10 which forms an essential element of the ring contracting and expanding device hereinbefore referred to. Said lever comprises a body 10 of blade-like form and an integral handle 10*, said handle extending rearwardly from the lower end portion of said body and afford ing means whereby the lever may be grasped for manually operating the latter. The front 'end of the body 10 also has pivotal connection, as at 11, with the outer side wall of said saddle plate 7 at a suitable point, preferably in the midlength portion of said side wall.

Said lever, preferably formed of heavy sheet metal, has its handle 10 of arcuate form in cross section and so disposed that, in the closed position of the ring 6, it closely seats in underlying relation to the terminal roll of the container and the adjacent edge portion of said ring, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. In such osition, the handle is not liable, during han ling in shipment, to such engagement as would tend to dislodge it. Said lever is designed to be moved vertically in jack-knife fashion into and out of closed position wherein it is received interior-1y of a pocket 12 provided therefor in the outer wall or side portion of the saddle plate. Said pocket is formed by the provision in said outer wall portion of the saddle plate of an outwardly ofi'set longitudinally extendlng area 13 of the required size and shape.

The pivot pin 9 by means of which the lever 10 is attached to the ring 6 is so disposed with respect to the pivotal connection 11 of said lever 'and the pivotal mounting of the saddle plate 7 that during the final closing movement, as when the saddle plate is drawn or forced down to its horizontal seated position, said pivot pin 9 passes the line joining the axes of the other pivots in a sudden, or snap-like movement. Due to the position occupied by said pivot pin 9 when the parts are in their closed ring contracting position, as shown in Figure 1, chance movement of said parts from their said position is effectually prevented. As is apparent, the forward end extension of the saddle plate beyond the point 'of pivotal connection of the lever 10 therewith provides for the application by hand' thereto of downwardly directed force at the same time that the lever is drawn upwardly with the other hand of the operator.

To guard against undetected opening of the container, a seal 14 may be mounted'in a position wherein it must be broken to eflfect access to the container. Said seal is carried by a wire 15 which is passed through openings 16 and 17 provided, respectively, in the lower edge portion of the blade 10 and in a depending lug 18 formed on the outer, wall of the saddle plate, said openings being disposed in registering relation when the parts occupy their closed, or ring contracting, positions.

What is claimed is 1. A head retaining device for metal containers, comprising a split resilient ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracin relation to relatively seated rim portions of the drum and its head, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of 1 the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and out of overlying seated relation to the opposite end, and a lever having a pivotal mounting on said ring and a pivotal connection to said saddle plate, said lever being vertically shiftable for effecting contraction and expansion of said ring.

2. A head retaining device, as in claim 1, wherein the lever is vertically shiftable to and from a substantially horizontal position for effecting contraction and expansion of the ring.

3. A head retaining device, as in claim 1, wherein the lever is vertically shiftable in jack-knife fashion relative to the outer wall of said saddle plate for effecting contraction and expansion of the ring.

4. A head retaining device for metal containers, comprising a split resilient ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to relatively seated rim portions of the drum and its head, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and out of overlying seated relation to the opposite end, a portion of the outer wall of said saddle plate being outwardly ofl'set to form therein an internal pocket, and a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said opposite end of-thering and having its front end pivoted to said saddle plate, said lever being vertically shiftable into and out of said pocket in jack-knife fashion for effecting contraction and expansion of said ring.

5. A head retaining device for metal containers, comprising a split resilient ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to relatively seated rim portions of the drum and its head, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and out of overlying seated relation to the opposite end, a portion of the outer wall of said saddle plate being outwardly offset to form therein an internal pocket, and a lever-pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said opposite end of the ring and having its front end pivoted to said offset portion of the saddle plate and vertically shiftable in jack-knife fashion into and out of said pocket in effecting contraction and expansion of said ring, said lever having its rear end portion forming a handle adapted to assume underlying relation to said ring.

6. The-combination with a container having a terminal roll, and a head having a rim for seating upon said roll, of a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said relatively seating portions, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and out of overlying seated relation to the opposite end of said ring, alever pivoted on said opposite end of said ring and having pivotal connection with said saddle plate, said lever being vertically shiftable in jack-knife fashion in relation to a wall of said saddle plate and having a handle portion adapted to assume seated relation to said ring.

7. The combination with a container having a terminal roll, of a head having arim for seating upon said roll, a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said relatively seating portions, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said rin and movable vertically into and out of over yin seated relation to the opposite end of sai ring, a lever pivoted on said opposite end 6 of said ring and having pivotal connection with said saddle plate, said lever being vertically shiftable in jack-knife fashion in relation to a wall of said saddle plate for effecting contraction and expansion of said 10 ring and having a rearwardly extending handle portion which, in the contracted position of said ring, occupies substantially horizontal position in juxtaposition to the latter.

8. The combination with a container having a terminal roll, and a head having a rim for seating upon said roll, of a split rirg adapted to be contracted into and expand out of embracing relation to said relatively seating portions, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and out of overlying seated relation to'the oppo-, site end of said ring, said saddle plate have ing a portion of its outer wall outwardly ofi set to form therein an internal pocket, a lever pivoted on'said opposite end of the ring. and having pivotal connection with the forward end portion of said offset wall, said lever being vertically shiftable into and out of said pocket in jack-knife fashion and having a rear end portion forming a handle.

9. The combination with a container having a terminal roll, and a head having a rim for seating upon said roll, of a split ring adapted -to be contracted into and expanded seating portions, a saddle plate pivoted at its rear end on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable vertically into and 40 out of overlying seated relation to the opposite end of said ring, said saddle plate having a portion of its outer wall outwardly ofiset to form therein an internal pocket, a lever pivoted on said opposite end of the ring and having pivotal connection with the forward end portion of said ofi'set wall, said lever being vertically shiftableinto and out of said pocket in jack-knife fashion for effecting contraction and expansion of said ring and having a rear end portion forming a handle adapted to seat beneath said ring when the latter is contracted.

10. The combination with a container having a terminal roll, and a head seating upon said roll, of a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said container and head, a saddle plate having a pivotal connection adjacent one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable into and out of overlapping seated relation to the opposite end of said ring, and a lever having a pivotal connection adjacent the opposite end of the ring. and having a pivotal connection with said saddle plate,

said pivotal connections being so located that tionship when the ring is contracted. out of-embracing relatlon to sald relatlvely when the ring is contracted one of said connections will lie intermediate the other connections and to'one side of a line extending through the axes of such other connections. 11. The combination with a container and a head having seating portions, of a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said seating portions, .asaddle plate having a pivotal connection adjacent one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable into and out of overlapping relation tothe opposite end of said ring, and a lever having a pivotal connection on said opposite end of the rin and having a pivotal connection with sai saddle plate, the pivotal connection between said lever and the ring being so located that with the ring in, contracted position it will lie intermediatethe-other pivotal connections and to one side of a line'extending through the axes of said other pivotal connections.

12. The combination with a container and ahead having seating portions, of a split ring adaptedito be contra'ctedinto and expanded out of embracing relation to said seating portions, a substantially U-shaped saddle late having a pivotal connection on one o the meeting ends of said ring and movable into overlapping seated relation to the opposite end of said ring, and a lever having a pivotal connection on said opposite end .of the ring and having a pivotal connection with said saddle plate, said saddle plate; lever and ring being movable into overlapping nested rela- 13. The combination with a container and a head having seating portions, of a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said seating portions, a substantially U-shaped saddle plate having a pivotal connection on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable into overlapping seated relation to the opposite end of said ring, and a lever having a pivotal connection on said opposite end of the ring and having a pivotal connection with said saddle plate, said sad-dle plate, lever and ring being movable into overlapping nested relationship when the ring 15 contracted, said saddle plate having an offset formed in one of the walls thereof to receive a portion of said lever.

14. The combination with a container and a head having seating portions, of a split ring adapted to be contracted into and expanded out of embracing relation to said seating portions, a substantially U-shaped saddle plate having a pivotal connection on one of the meeting ends of said ring and movable into overlapping seated relation to 125 the opposite end of said ring, and a lever having a pivotal connection on said opposite end of the ring and having a pivotal connection with said saddle plate,.said saddle plate, lever and ring being movable into overlap- 1 ping nested relationship when the ring is contracted, said saddle. plate being shaped to receive and embrace the portion of said lever lying between said two last mentioned pivotal connections.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

1 CHARLES H. ROLLASON. 

